Caen Hill flight

We arrived to find the bottom pound full of boats waiting to go on down to Foxhangers but they were having their lunch. The lock keeper arrived to inform us that he was lowering the water level to investigate a leak. When the other boats moved on we tied up at the visitor mooring with slack ropes. Went down at least a foot over night but it was still deep enough to be floating!

Next day started misty which cleared as the sun came up. Set off together at about 10, Ann & Vic having got the first lock ready. Paul Balmer of 'Waterway Routes' seen walking down the flight to help. Another glorious day for travelling up through this famous flight of 16 closely spaced locks. Surprising being Easter that no other boats were passed on the way up and not many people watching our progress.

It was when we were at the top that the first pair of boats were seen coming out of a lock in front. We passed and watched them struggling to get in the lock almost one behind the other! Far easier to go in as a pair together. We had taken just over two hours from bottom to top of the flight. Stopped after doing a few more locks and thanked Paul for his help. Then we all enjoyed home made vegetable soup which Ann had made earlier.

A greater threat ?

We have been protesting about the governments failure to maintain investment in our waterways. The infrastructure needs regular maintenance to keep the system open. Canals and rivers could become un navigable which would be a disgrace after all the effort made to restore navigation. The waterways provide a wonderful natural environment for relaxation and holidays.

But it seems that there is an even greater threat to the well-being of our navigations. In 'the small print' of the last budget by Mr. Brown was the confirmation that all diesel fuel be taxed at the same rate. This means that our use of 'pink diesel' with a low duty can no longer be used for boat engines. It is not so much the cost but availability which will drastically slow down boat movements. There is very little profit in keeping it at boatyards or marinas. For some unknown reason even hire boat companies will not be able to use the 'pink'. They may decide not to supply the high taxed diesel to passing boaters by just storing enough for themselves.

However the de-regulation will not come into force until 1^st. November 2008, so we will at least have this year and next to continue enjoying our life on the waterways.

Bradford on Avon

The Kennet and Avon remains a very quiet pretty canal. It is a dead end at Bath unless you choose to go down on the river and out on the Bristol channel. As we have progressed westwards the number of old wrecks, floating sheds and rows of boats taking most of the available moorings has increased since we were here in 2004. The hirers of narrowboats must be put off by this lack of space. Especially at places like Bradford on Avon which is a lovely place to explore. It reminds me of Hebden Bridge with stone buildings, the river, road, rail and canal passing through its valley. We all enjoyed sitting in a café eating, drinking and watching the world go by.

The ancient and modern

DEFRA and the EU ??

DEFRA is a government department, which my MP agrees, is incompetent. It has also been referred to as being 'unfit for purpose'. It is this department which is responsible for NOT paying our farmers their 'Single payment' from the European Union. Therefore our farmers are suffering from lack of funds. It is no wonder that foreign food is cheaper in this country. The department is also responsible for cutting back on payments to the Environment Agency and British Waterways. Which is why we are still in protest mode. I cannot understand, realising the situation is so serious, why it is that the general public are not yet aware of it. After all a considerable amount of tax payers money is involved.

Wandering up and down

Ann n Sue are enjoying their walks with the dogs, now that Sue has recovered from a virus infection. The canal between Seend and Semington offering many interesting tracks and paths. Ann has a map printed off the computer, while Sue has her magic GPS. Following the public foot paths round farm buildings can be difficult where mud and fences force detours.

We had stopped at the visitor moorings near Seend bottom lock. A boat there had been left for some time for it had a 'parking ticket' stuck to its window and it was empty. A passing boat caused a mooring pin to come loose by going too fast. This caused the boat to drift across the canal. As it was late in the evening we decided to leave it there. Next day another boat wanted to get by so they, with our help, managed to pull the abandoned boat back to its mooring.

Swing bridges and an aqueduct

Continuing to Semington we had to operate no less than 3 swing bridges within a mile of each other. Sue n Vic were in front and so they opened the first and we went on to the next. We opened that and they the next! Then we opened the next lock and both went in. Just before that lock the canal went over an aqueduct. It was back in 2004 that we both came this way when the aqueduct was being built. A road now passes under the canal.

Visitors

Chris came up on his motor bike to see his mum. Just over an hour was enough for him. Always a worry for us but it was good to see him. And he got home safe.

Next weekend our friends Mary n Ray came. They were camping at Sells Green not far away. As it was a nice day we took them through a swing bridge to the winding hole, turned and returned. Ann had made soup which we all enjoyed.

A speech by Lord Stodart

I have just received a letter from my MP regarding the reduced grant to British Waterways from Defra. He does agree that Defra is incompetent and enclosed a copy of a speech by Lord Stodart of Swindon in the House of Lords made on the 5 th. March. Here is part of that speech.

"My Lords, I thank the committee for its report and the noble Lord, Lord Radice, for the manner in which he presented it to the House. However, in spite of finding no evidence of a culture of corruption in the EU, I am afraid that the report will not dispel the deep-rooted conviction that fraud is endemic in the EU and costs about £2 billion a year."

"I remind your Lordships that in 2005 the United Kingdom made a gross annual payment to the EU of £15 billion, and a net contribution of £6.1 billion. The new seven-year financial settlement will further increase those figures; indeed if Britain's rebate is removed in 2009, our contribution will rocket to around £10 billion net per annum. That is very serious money, and our tax payers have the right to expect that it will be properly spent."

"There appear to be no sanctions available against the Commission for neglect or mishandling of the finances, or anything else for that matter. Yet British tax payers are being fined by the Commission for Defra's mistakes and faulty administration in the single farm payment scheme. Apparently, that fine will amount to £305 million - that is £5 for every man, woman and child in this country, or £10 for every worker. They have a right to be resentful that we should be fined in this way"

"Pressure on the Commission to put its financial house in order should be maintained, so that taxpayers in this country and throughout the EU can be assured that no part of their imposts are fraudulently converted or not well managed. It may very well be the case that, as it was suggested by the noble Lord, Lord Pearson, the Commission should employ an international firm of accountants, either to examine its accounts or even to run its financial affairs."

 

Out and about in the sunshine

We have been moving slowly west and stopped near Seend. The canal is a bit exposed to the wind because there are few trees. There are some swing bridges to operate which are for farmers and walkers so it is very rural here. Walked up to Seend where the Post Office had our post. It was a lovely sunny day so we took a picnic with us. Found a spot in a field and sat on a fallen Horse Chestnut (conker) tree trunk. Studied the view across a clear valley in the sunshine. Sue was searching for a few of those 'Geo-Cache' boxes. Took a while to find one tucked out of sight in a hedge row. Wrote in its log book to register the fact that the 'Narrowboaters' had found it. A number of clues are found on the internet to give a location and a GPRS points the way to the hiding place.

Moving down the Caen Hill locks

We had gone down a few locks from Devizes the day before. After such a long time in one place it was a real treat to move again. The sunshine and warm spring like day made for an enjoyable trip. Paul came at 10 o'clock to help. Vic, Paul and Ann set up the locks in front as we progressed down the hill through 19 wide locks. No Problem and Moore 2 Life were driven together into each lock all the way down. A matter of pride to guide both into the lock together with only a few inches clearance without hitting the sides. Sue had previously made some tomato soup which we all consumed once safely moored below the flight at one thirty.

 

Save Our Waterways

At Devizes for the weekend with a gathering of boaters, fishermen, canoeists and other waterway users to protest about the swinging cuts in Government funds. DEFRA's poor management of EU subsidies has resulted in the EU imposing heavy fines. A disgraceful situation after so much effort has been made in the past to restore the waterway system by volunteers and local authorities.

No Problem and Moore 2 Life join in the protest

A gathering of supporters listen to a speech by the local MP

Many boaters gathered to blockade the canal.  8 boats across the canal at Devizes.  We all made a noise at 12 o’clock

 

Life in a marina

Richard is doing a marvellous job for us. The Dinette is coming together as planned. The quality of workmanship cannot be faulted. I have done my bit by applying the varnish. Although we have been in for two weeks so far we knew that Richard could not spend every day on our project alone.

While living on board in the marina we had an alternative source of power. Normally we rely on the engine for electricity and hot water, but here we have a land line. That is mains electric. The power point has a meter which enabled me to keep a record of power used. So far it works out at about 2 KWh a day. We were able to use the washing machine several times and heat the water using our immersion heater. Diesel is still being burnt to keep our fire going for space heating.

A new dinette

We have moved into the marina to have a dinette built. Spent many hours thinking about the design and making drawings. The design had to consider how to make the dinette with table be converted to a double bed and incorporate a book case! It had to be able to store many items out of sight.

My first job was to remove the existing table and bench seat that I built two years ago. It's conversion to a bed was never very successful. Hopefully the new design will be easier. But there is nothing quite like seeing the reality as the building progressed.

Changes are being made and our normal routine has been disrupted. We miss our friends who are almost out of reach on the other side of the canal. They have started to operate a ferry service as and when required. We also miss the freedom of just walking along the towpath and watching the wild birds eating from our feeders hung on the hedge row. On the plus side we do have access to mains electricity so do not have to run the engine. Our boat is surrounded by other boats so the view from the windows is just another boat!

Sue is sorry

Sue has asked me to say that her computer has been sent away for repair.  She is therefore unable to do any blogs or respond to comments until further notice.

A closed canal

The Kennet & Avon is still closed near Reading and will be 'until further notice'. Several boaters have been considering having their boats craned out and transported to another canal. We moved down to Devizes through slushy ice and a snow storm to collect a Tesco order and get water. There on the wharf was a boat on a lorry and the crane just leaving. "Heading for the midlands" they said. The closure caused by a broken weir on private land. Could have happened at any time so we are thankful it occurred after we had got off the Thames which has been 'in flood' ever since.

Family visit

Chris, Tracy and the boys, Josh & Ben arrived for a week end stay. We moved the boat back over to the marina to pick them up in the dark! Once back at our mooring there was just time for a meal before we bathed the boys and put them to bed. Next day we all travelled down to Devizes and back. No room to park for a look round so returned. But it is always better to move the boat while they are aboard. Spent the afternoon watching a DVD about 'Cars'. Then after a meal we returned them to their car.

The Winter Months

Not really much to report. It is the Winter months. We are not moving about exploring or discovering. Just keeping going, ticking over, on the Kennet and Avon canal near Devizes. Been expecting it, ICE on the cut after several days of frost in the morning. The surface all flat and hard. The sun is out so it won't last long. Got more diesel at 60 pence a litre and a gas bottle for £20 before the ice arrived. We are moored on the opposite bank and just have to back up about 100 yards to the pump and water supply.

Thankfully they had enough for us to fill our tank. Seems that most of their 'pink' diesel is being used to heat their office and workshops. When the government get round to changing the law we won't be allowed to use it on our boat. We keep asking what their plans are but until the authorities get in touch they have none. Did notice two second hand pumps behind the fence though.

Busy reading Wogan's 'Mustn't Grumble'. Worth a read if you want to know his truth about 'Eurovision Songs', 'Children In Need' and other things he is involved in. A good laugh in places. Some of those 'Janet & John' stories are printed within. Helping our friends re fitting the new No Problem. A lot of creative thought going in to the design and layout. Have been writing about my working life and technology experiences. Watch that space on the web site. Have you read Chapter 11 - 'East Anglia' ?

Are we friendly to the environment ?

NO is the short answer. What IS 'being friendly'? Don't answer that.

The world of nature will look after itself, so look out human beings. (GAIA theory, James Lovelock). Nature changes and adapts oh so slowly we may not notice in a lifetime. But then you may realise that it has changed if you look further back. We do not get snow at Christmas now. The Thames never freezes over and the ice caps ARE melting.

Burning wood is friendly. Coal or oil is not. This is because coal and oil took millions of years to produce. During that time it was absorbing CO2 while storing the suns energy. We have been releasing that CO2 and using the energy over a relatively short period of time.

I understand that our 'pink' diesel is one of the dirtiest fuels. It may be cheap but it is very UN friendly. Perhaps the addition of duty and tax will be a 'blessing in disguise' for the environment. We must be encouraged, not just by cost, but by availability as well, to use friendly fuel. 'Low Sulphur' and 'Bio' comes to mind. I do hope that the boat yards, private suppliers and British Waterways will be helped to make the friendly fuels available to us boaters. There has to be a profit in it.

On a separate tack I find it appalling that pumpout cards are not available from the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust because there is no profit in it. The cards are used to activate the pumpout machines. Thankfully we do not have a 'black tank' to empty. We have cassettes which we can empty for free.

Closures before and after the storm

We seem to be OK on the Kennet & Avon canal for the moment but it is closed near Reading. Kate Bush owns property near the canal and in fact the river Kennet goes across her land. The river drops over a weir there which collapsed in December. It will apparently cost £100,000 to repair. British Waterways have not been maintaining the weir because it is on private land. Its collapse caused a rush of water which sank a boat and now a section of canal is empty!

There has been so much rain that the Thames is in flood and that very windy day has blown down a lot of trees. Many have blocked the canals all over the country. BW has advised all boaters to check with them before setting off on a trip! They will have a lot of work to do to clear the trees and continue the planned winter maintenance as well.

Meanwhile we keep busy working on No Problem.

Diesel taxation

Apparently commercial hire boats will still be able to use the 'lo tax' pink diesel. But non commercial boaters will be obliged to use the 'hi tax' diesel. We will not be able to fill up at commercial boat yards unless they install 'lo' and 'hi' tax diesel. We will have to find private marinas which soon will be forced to convert their supply to 'hi' tax diesel.

The EU law specifies a minimum rate of duty but our government chooses to add more than the minimum which is why the fuel in this country is more expensive. If the government applies the minimum duty to diesel for non commercial boaters then this will encourage it's use. It will also limit the possible purchase for boats of the 'hi tax' fuel at road side pumps.

A green boat

We use far less power than a normal household. Our engine and batteries provide just enough power to run a small washing machine. Maximum electrical power required only to get the water up to 40 degrees after filling with hot water. Each day the engine is run mainly to charge up the batteries for between 1 and 2 hours. During the day our solar panels keep the fridge, and occasional use of the computer running. When purchasing new electrical equipment we have to consider its power requirement. Our TV is only 40 watts, the digital tuner only 15 watts and the computer is 100 watts. And of course they are not left on stand by. We manage with an efficient 8 watt light because it is only 6 feet away. White LED lighting is an interesting development which promises even better efficiency. There are many boats with solar panels and wind turbines generating 'free' power which does not pump the dreaded CO2 into the atmosphere.

I do wish more can be done to encourage us all to consider the amount of power our equipment uses. There is a label on the back which gives the power rating either in watts or amps. Why do we have to search for this information? It should be on the front. How 'green' is your TV ? When power costs money and its generation damages the environment I wonder why we use so much.

Staying on the waters

Not had much time or inclination to write. Moving the boat provided the motive in the past. For the next few months we will be staying on the Kennet & Avon near Devizes. Not far from family or friends if they wish to visit. Should be easier to arrange as we are not a moving target for a while.

Our time will be spent helping our friends fit out their new boat 'NO PROBLEM'. See Sue's blog to keep up with that activity. To avoid confusion the original boat of that name is now 'WASNP' !

New year reVolution

A change in emphasis? Less about waterways more about our way of life, family and friends. We feel that we have 'done' the inland waterways. It has been a wonderful voyage of discovery over the last 6 years living on the boat exploring the 2000 miles or so of the navigations. Our web site will remain as a record of our adventures. With an album of pictures of all the waterways we have explored. The book may well end at Chapter 11 (2006). For it has covered our adventure of discovery which is why I wrote it. Somebody might be persuaded to publish it?

At this point in time we cannot see us going back to 'dry land'. We both still enjoy life on the waterways. The freedom, lifestyle, peace, countryside, wild life and exploration which is only possible while on the boat. Having been back to see family and friends we know that the boat and the waterways are our home. Despite the apparent loneliness we have got to know so many people on the waterways.

Christmas and birthday were celebrated, last year now, with family and friends old and new. There is a promise of fresh opportunity for my brother is returning to his home country. Lovely to see him, his new place and exploring our old haunts together. We will try to stay close to the south coast so that family and friends can enjoy short trips to visit us.

At 65 I need time to explore in other directions. Like reading that 'Wogan' book Sue gave me, watching DVD's, maybe write about my working life, listen to music as always, keep the blog going, learn more tricks with those web pages…………..Should also get out for a walk with Ann & Molly.